Chris Parker, who is 33 and has been living rough for about a year, said he regularly begs in the foyer of the Arena, and was there at the time of the suicide bombing on Monday night (May 22) (via The Independent).

Despite being knocked down by the force of the explosion,which killed 22, including children, and injured 59, he immediately ran inside to help the victims.

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His mother Jessica Parker is now using Facebook in an attempt to get back in touch with Chris, claiming she had no idea he had been sleeping rough.

'This is my son who has been estranged from me for a long while. I had no idea he was homeless but he was extremely brave last night,' Mrs Parker wrote on her page, along with a link to the Manchester Evening News's report on Chris cradling a woman in his arms before she died after the attack.

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'Please get in touch with me Chris Parker.'

In a response to a commenter – whose daughter had been at the Ariana Grande concert but had returned home safe and unharmed, and who had offered to bring Chris home if he could be found – Jessica added: 'Thank you – I have been in touch with MEN and the police and they are putting an appeal for him to get in touch. I will keep you posted.'

In another post, Jessica explained that she had been 'estranged for a very long time' from her son, and that she was 'very proud of him'.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News following the attack, Chris recalled: 'Everyone was piling out, all happy and everything else. As people were coming out of the glass doors I heard a bang and within a split second I saw a white flash, then smoke and then I heard screaming.

It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help. There was people lying on the floor everywhere.

'I saw a little girl. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said "where is your mum and daddy?" She said "my dad is at work, my mum is up there".'

He also revealed that he had tended to a fatally injured woman in her 60s.

'She passed away in my arms. She was in her 60s and said she had been with her family,' he told the paper.

A GoFund Me page has been set up for Chris by a man called Michael Johns 'who like many others have been horrified by the news from Manchester'.

'Amongst the sad details one story has stood out for me and compelled me to make an effort to help one of our most vulnerable in society who showed great selflessness and courage,' Michael explained on the page.

'This GoFundMe campaign is for the benefit of Chris Parker, the homeless man who was begging in the foyer of the Manchester Arena when a bomb was detonated and selflessly and heroically ran towards the blast zone to help those affected.'

So far 2,394 people have raised £27,065 in 21 hours.

Meanwhile, homeless man Steve Jones who was praised for his heroism after comforting the injured following Monday's attack has been tracked down and given six months of free accommodation by West Ham owner David Sullivan.

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